Chapter 2. A theatre of illusions

Grandpa was stark raving mad! Come to think of it, so was I. I glanced back at where the door should have been. The door I had come in through just a few minutes ago. There was nothing there but a featureless wall. No door. Maybe this really was purgatory. No, wait, this was hell.

The old man was walking to the staircase at the end of the room, lighting candles here and there on tables and tall holders. I started walking after him, glancing around me. There were paintings here and there on the walls. The portraits were so life-like that I could have sworn that, if I had turned around, I would have caught them staring at me. I hurried along, chills running down my spine.

We climbed up the stairs and reached a massive wooden door. There was an inscription on it saying 'Enter into the world'. The old man paused enough for me to read it - twice - and opened the door. "After you, Miss Olivia."

From the threshold, the room appeared to actually be an enclosed garden terrace, with a few shady trees here and there, some shrubbery and small flower beds. Under the trees there were small round tables with people sitting around them on round chairs. They were conversing cheerfully and there was also a band playing somewhere out of sight.

There didn't seem to be any danger, so I went inside. Or actually, outside. There was even a small breeze rustling the leaves.

The old man followed me and led me to a table. We sat down.

"Miss Olivia, welcome to my Garden. Would you like some tea?" he asked politely.

"No, thank you. You said you can show me the way out."

"Eh, yes. But all in good time."

"Look, Mr... " I paused, cuing him to say his name, but he didn't, so I went on. "Time is a luxury I can't afford too much of. It was a mistake to come here and all I want is to go home. I'm sure I'm inconveniencing you anyway and - "

He cut me off. "Please, Miss Olivia, try to understand that by coming here, you have started something that you cannot simply back out of. You have to carry it out to the end."

"Why?" I cried out a bit too loud. "I am a free citizen of this country and I have my rights. You can't hold me against my will. I will call the police!" I realized I was panting. I didn't usually lose my temper like this, nor make a big public scene.

"I'm sorry, dear lady, that there is no police around here. And even if there were, you wouldn't have any way of calling them."

I defiantly took my cell phone out of my handbag. It was showing no reception, no matter what I did to it. I tried it all, restarting it, taking the SIM card out, air plane mode on and off. No bars.

As I was fumbling with my phone, the old man gently touched my elbow. I stared at him in panic.

"Look around you."

I cautiously peered around me, expecting to see the same people sitting and laughing at the nearby tables and the band playing in the back.

Instead, to my horror, the room was actually eerily quiet all of a sudden and everything was still. More than that, the people had all turned into mannequins. Sitting in the same positions, with the same expressions, yet lifeless. I gaped in awe for a few seconds, then turned back towards the old man.

It finally dawned on me that I might actually have been in some kind of other world, like Narnia or Wonderland. I sat down defeated, not even remembering when I had got up.

"Ok, Mr White Rabbit. I will dance to your tune. Tell me how to finish this adventure."

"That's more like it." He actually smiled. "Let me introduce myself. I am the gatekeeper. I guide people towards the start of their adventure."

Please... I'd heard it all before in hundreds of fantasy stories. Why did mine also have to be so clichéd?

"Mr Gatekeeper, what I would need to know is how to finish this adventure as soon as possible. I have a book translation due next week."

"Young people these days, so eager to get on with their lives, they forget to live. Very well." He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "You will reach the end of your adventure when you will have found your prince charming."

I stuttered "What makes you think I don't already have a prince charming? Maybe I'm unavailable. What makes you think I even need a man in my life? I can take care of myself perfectly fine -"

"My dear child, everyone can use a little love in their life. And you are definitely unattached. Being married to your job does not mean you are in a relationship." Drat!

"Very well" I said reluctantly. "I will keep an open mind for any upcoming prince charming to come sweep me off my feet." But not because I desperately feared living the rest of my life alone.

"That is a wise decision."

I started to relax. Well, at least forced myself to relax. "Is there any other advice you can give me, Sir?"

"Yes..." He rubbed his beard again. "Be careful whom you trust out there. Not everyone is a friend."

"Right."

"You might even think you've found prince charming, but he might turn out to be quite the opposite."

"Great." I rubbed my temples, trying to ease my growing head ache.

"Calm down, Miss Olivia. I trust you will make the right decisions."

"Thank you..."

"Look around you again."

I raised my eyes slowly and turned around. Some people have a fear of dolls and mannequins. I think I finally understood why.

But, surprise! The mannequins were living people again, laughing and drinking like nothing had happened. I rubbed at my eyes, looking around incredulously. The people were alive, alright.

"Uh, what has just happened?"

"That, my dear lady, was a metaphor. You might see some others here and there. Don't be afraid of them. Unless they really seem dangerous."

I gaped at the old man. "Your advice is not a lot of help, is it? Prince charming is the key to finishing the adventure, unless it is not really him. Metaphors are ok unless they are dangerous. Do you give the same advice for everyone?"

"I give each person the advice they need."

"Ok..." I glanced back around the garden. The band were packing their instruments, chatting and laughing. The singer looked kind of familiar... But he had already disappeared behind one of the panels behind the stage.

"You should leave soon. Before it is too dark. If you hurry, you can make it to the next village."

We got up. "Alright. Lead the way." We started towards the other end of the terrace. I took one last look at the empty stage. Where had I seen that guy before?